The Arctic Ice Is Melting, But Who Cares! They’s Oil In Them Thar Slush Piles!
We recently covered the shocking revelation that the Arctic sea ice was set to melt to an all time low this year (It will surpass predicted 2050 levels in fact). While this sounds to me like the IPCC has been woefully conservative in just how fast certain feedback mechanisms will warm the Arctic, it sounds to a lot of other people like the starting gun on a race for Arctic resources.
Sure we could be concerned about the deadly consequences of melting Arctic sea ice (thermohaline current disruption, destruction of the polar bear, melting permafrost, etc) caused by our rampant burning of fossil fuels. Or we could look on the bright side and see that really all that missing ice just makes it easier to dig up MORE oil and gas! (note: this is a demonstration of sarcasm)
The melting is already well underway, the fabled “northwest passage” Is becoming less “fabled” every day. In times past the main hindrance to this chilly ocean voyage was the ever present sea ice. As of the writing of this post the Northwest passage is nearly ice-free for the first time since records began.
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Doing It Better Than I Could
JcWinnie Over at After Gutenberg (one of the top ten eco blogs you should be checking out, and also just got a snazy new layout) has taken my post today about California’s energy crunch and done a little math, making my post so much better.
Check it out here.
Changing A Light Bulb, So Easy Even You Can Do It.
Take a moment to enjoy this informative video.
Ahhh. Now that was easy wasn’t it?
California Experiencing A Power Crunch
The scorching California sun has pushed the states power generation structure to the limits. Under this near record breaking demand for power, the state has promoted the state to issue warnings asking people to use as little electricity as possible.
The states grid managers are now in a Stage 1 emergency, the first of three steps that lead to a blackout. They say that if they reach blackout stage they will be forced to cut power to parts of the grid in order to avoid a system wide crash.
“We’re tapping our operating reserves and we are stepping up our calls for conservation, but we are still a long way from a Stage 3 alert and blackouts,” said Stephanie McCorkle, a spokeswoman for the California Independent System Operator.
For two days now demand has surged well over forecasted limits (1000 MW over!), if that happens again today they will set an all time record for energy demand, not to mention coming close to using all the available supply.
Makes you wonder, what would happen if California has a couple thousand MW of solar power plants spread around the state on days like this? Solar power is so key for situations like this because it produces peak load during these super hot days of summer when demand for power is at its peak. Similarly it is most often the windiest in the winter, during another peak demand for heating costs. Combining the two with geothermal, and solar thermal, can produce a year round way to “smooth out” the peaks and toughs in energy demand.
California is working on getting solar up and running. The state has one of the best financial setups for solar, encouraging many big box retailers and homeowners alike to cover the roofs with solar panels at their stores. Lets hope they keep up the swift pace of solar integration, because it looks like the demand for energy is not going down.
How To Ride Your Bike To Work
It’s Wednesday, that means its time once again for my weekly article from GreenOptions. I write for them each Wednesday. That means The Sietch gets last weeks article :) Enjoy. If I told you that I was going to give you a magic device that would save you money, save the planet, and, oh yeah, firm up that flab you have been carrying around with you for the last couple of year (all for three easy payments of $19.95!), what would you say? Most people would be pretty stoked, but when I tell people that this magic device is a bicycle, the thrill dies down a little.
I have been in love with bike riding for years now, from the flat open roads of Ohio, to the bustling SUV traffic of Austin, the winding roads of Cape Cod, and now the horn-honking traffic of Boston. When I tell people that I ride my bike to work they say "that’s great" as they look at me like I might be a couple cards short of a deck. For most people, the conversation stops there, but for those of us who get more engaged, I usually end up hearing something like "I would love to ride my bike to work, but…" It’s the "buts" I am going to address today.
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